Why Republican Attacks on Transgender Treatments is Hypocrisy and Ignorance
I explain how their argument is utter BS
This morning, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted that Democrats are "the party of pedophiles," which is just one of many provocative tweets aimed at Democrats who advocate for equal rights and freedoms for transgender and LGBTQ communities.
The Republicans' cultural wars have existed for decades, but in recent years, they have intensified. From spreading falsehoods about Critical Race Theory to magnifying the lives of transgender individuals, denouncing "wokeness," diversity training, and even voting rights, Republicans often distort the truth to intimidate and frighten both voters and outspoken critics.
The assault on Transgender Americans exemplifies how Republicans use intimidation and fear to target an already disadvantaged group without encountering much opposition from those who typically would oppose them.
Republicans utilize terms like "pedophiles," "groomers," and "child abusers" on social media and conservative news outlets like Fox News and NewsMax to portray individuals advocating for the transgender community as sexual deviants who harm children. Nevertheless, the reality contradicts this notion. It is the supporters of the transgender community who strive to safeguard children, and I can substantiate this assertion below.
Example:
Republicans censure individuals who advocate for parental rights in the discussion surrounding whether transgender teenagers should have the freedom to transition without government intervention. Even though a small proportion of children are currently utilizing puberty blockers or hormones, and an even tinier percentage are undergoing surgical procedures to transition to a different gender identity, Republicans vilify those who support parental rights as "pedophiles" and deviants. However, if we examine the factual evidence, the reality is the opposite.
According to research, 82% of transgender individuals have considered committing suicide, and 40% have attempted it, with transgender youth having the highest risk. Depending on the study, it is estimated that transgender teenagers are 600-800% more likely to attempt suicide than their cisgender peers.
When individuals who lack knowledge and exhibit bigotry express hate towards transgender individuals on social media, or cast them as societal outcasts, these statistics are likely to increase.
Republicans in several states are attempting to prevent families from allowing their teenage children to receive gender-affirming hormones (GAH), puberty blockers (PBs), or gender-affirming surgeries. To an outsider, allowing young teenagers to undergo these treatments may appear to be a form of child abuse, but in reality, the opposite is true. Failing to allow young teenagers to receive these treatments after consulting with doctors and mental health professionals could potentially lead to their death. Recent research indicates that gender-affirming hormones (GAH) and puberty blockers (PBs) resulted in a reduction in depression in 60% of transgender youth who took them.
On the other hand, what are the risks? Although some transitional procedures could be irreversible, particularly certain surgeries, the facts are as follows. Only 0.5% of Americans identify as transgender. Additionally, in a review of 27 studies involving almost 8,000 teenagers and adults who had transgender surgeries, primarily in Europe, the US, and Canada, on average, 1% expressed regret. Regret was temporary for some, but a small percentage went on to have detransitioning or reversal surgeries, as per a 2021 review. This means that 1% of 0.5% of Americans may have a surgery that they regret, or 1 in 20,000 Americans. In comparison to the thousands of Americans for whom these procedures act as a cure or treatment for depression or even suicide, these figures are insignificant in terms of overall benefit.
To assert that blocking children and their parents from considering transitional treatments, which have been carefully evaluated by medical professionals and psychiatrists, is a means of protecting the child, is utterly absurd.
